Critical Overview
‘‘To Da-duh, in Memoriam’’ was originally published in 1967. Although it drew the attention of a few early literary scholars, at that time Marshall had a relatively small audience. Lloyd W. Brown wrote in a 1974 article for Novel: A Forum on Fiction that such neglect is ‘‘unfortunate, because Paule Marshall’s major themes are both significant and timely’’ and help to define the contemporary African American identity. In 1983, ‘‘To Da-duh, in Memoriam’’ was reissued and published in Marshall’s collection Reena, and Other Stories. The story was often singled out, drawing much favorable attention from readers and critics. Writing in the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Carole Boyce Davies called it ‘‘one of the most skillful stories’’ in the collection.
Over the years, critics have written about many different elements of this rich story. Brown has suggested that the musical and machine rhythms with which Marshall infuses ‘‘To Da-duh, in Memoriam’’ symbolize the strength of her characters and the life-death themes explored through the relationship created by grandmother and granddaughter. Similarly, in her essay included in Black Women Writers, Eugenia Collier suggests that Marshall ‘‘uses the ritual of dance to underscore the great contrast between the child’s world and Daduh’s.’’ According to Collier, the story ends in the child’s discovery of a ‘‘vital dimension of her self’’ as she realizes that the natural, traditional world of Barbados has value as well.
As Marshall has increasingly grown in stature as an important African-American writer, critics continue to explore the many themes of the story, which include the conflict between older and younger people, Western civilization and the Third World, the urban world and the rural world, and modernity and tradition. The story also reflects the history of Barbados, with its heritage of slavery, colonialism, and a reliance on sugar cane.
Other critics have also studied ‘‘To Da-duh, in Memoriam’’ with regard to its place within the Marshall cannon, a point which Marshall previously raised. Barbara T. Christian, writing in the Dictionary of Literary Biography, suggests that the story’s narrator could be the younger sister of Selina Boyce, the heroine of Brown Girl, Brownstones, Marshall’s first novel. Christian also points out that Da-duh ‘‘seems to be Marshall’s sketch of a more fully developed character in The Chosen Place, the Timeless People, which is Marshall’s second novel. Read together, Marshall’s works show the development of a writer. ‘‘To Da-duh, in Memoriam’’ further defines the themes that have been important to Marshall throughout her literary career, as well as the people who have shaped her life. As Marshall writes in her introductory comments to the story when it was reprinted in Reena, and Other Stories, ‘‘Da-duh turns up everywhere.’’
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.